15 Sustainable Gift Ideas for Anyone on Your List

If you’re looking for the perfect gift that is also eco-friendly, this sustainable gift guide has got you covered.

From zero-waste products to experiences to gifts that help save the planet, this list is filled with sustainable and ethical gift ideas for anyone on your list.

So if you’re wondering what to buy an eco-friendly person for their birthday, anniversary, or during the holiday season like Christmas, this post has got you covered!

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Here are some of the best sustainable gifts you can give to someone that will create a positive impact on Mother Earth, including some ideas for really unique gifts!

1. Edible and Drinkable Gifts

Some of the best eco-friendly gifts are the ones that can be eaten or drank. Gifts that can be consumed make a great option no matter the person since everyone eats/drinks.

Edible and drinkable gifts are also one of the only things that you can almost guarantee won’t be wasted.

Edible and drinkable gift ideas

1. Homemade spices and spice blends
2. Treats such as candy, chocolate and baked goods
3. Preserved food like jam or salsa
4. A homemade or locally bought wine, beer, spirit, etc.

2. Experience Gifts

Another great eco-friendly gift idea is to give an experience instead of something physical. This is a great gift for sustainable minimalists or for people who already seem to have everything.

Experience gift ideas

1. Tour a local vineyard
2. Book a camping trip, a hotel room or rent an RV.
3. Gift a massage or spa day
4. Enroll in a local or online class or workshop
5. Book a hot air balloon ride

3. Gift Something That Also Gives Back

Another idea for a sustainable gift is one that also gives back to the planet or to people. There are many brands that give back in different ways, so chances are you can find a cause that’s a perfect fit for your giftee.

Gift ideas that give back

1. Buy gifts from brands that donate a portion of the sale to cleaning up our oceans such as United by Blue or Klean Kanteen.
2. Gift items from brands that plant trees such as WoodWatch, tentree or Tree Tribe.
3. Conscious Step sells sustainable socks and they donate a portion of the sale to a cause, with various charities to choose from.

4. Shop Gifts from Small Businesses

Supporting a small business is a great thing socially and environmentally. Buying your gifts locally from small businesses is a great way to support your community as well as lower your carbon footprint since you’re not shopping online.

Shopping online can also be more environmentally friendly when buying in bulk, or simply when choosing eco-conscious goods from reputable, sustainable brands.

Gift ideas from local small businesses

1. Wood decoration from a local crafter
2. Painting from a local artist
3. Flowers from a local florist

Gift ideas from small businesses online

1. Buy gifts online from small businesses via marketplaces such as Etsy.
2. EarthHero is another excellent place to shop for gifts from small businesses online. What’s even better is that EarthHero has carbon-neutral shipping. They offset the carbon created from shipping and transporting their products and their day-to-day operations. In other words, if you usually refrain from shopping online to avoid a high carbon footprint, this is a great place to shop from.
3. Another place to support small businesses is through Welljourn. Welljourn is a fair trade marketplace that sells artisanal products from small businesses. They sell home decor and jewelry which make great gifts. Every product in Welljourn’s shop is made by artisans and sourced from fair trade certified members which guarantee fair wages, safe working conditions and sustainable materials!

5. Buy Gifts Made with Unique Eco-Materials

When choosing a gift, why not look for sustainable products that were made using unique eco-friendly materials? This makes a great sustainable gift idea because they’re usually one-of-a-kind.

Gift ideas using unique eco materials.

1. Svala makes these purses out of pineapple leaves.
2. Tree Tribe uses teak leaves to make beautiful “leaf leather” wallets.
3. Pela makes compostable phone cases using flax, hemp and even used Pela products, instead of plastic, and can come in artsy designs.
4. This hoodie from Coalatree is made with recycled coffee grounds.

6. Gift Zero-Waste Kitchen Products

Zero-waste products are the perfect gift for anyone who wants to reduce their packaging waste or who struggles with food waste. Zero-waste products mostly aim to reduce the use of single-use plastics, and there are various products that you can gift to replace certain types of plastic.

Zero-waste kitchen gift ideas

1. Stainless steel or even glass straws to replace disposable straws. I recommend Simply Straws due to their lifetime guarantee but you can usually find stainless steel straws in local stores.
2. A reusable bag to combat plastic bags when shopping at the grocery store, or other local stores.
3. Silicone covers from Food Huggers substitute plastic film wrap for covering different-sized cans, and some fruits and veggies. I have these and they’re my favorite kitchen product – I’m always recommending them to friends and family.
4. Beexwax wraps are another option for fighting against plastic waste. Warm up the wrap with your hands, apply it to a bowl or around a sandwich, and it will seal naturally. You can also get vegan food wraps.

7. Gift Zero-Waste Bathroom Products

Again, zero-waste products make great gifts! There are plenty of plastic-free or reusable products that can replace common wasteful bathroom products.

Zero-waste bathroom gift ideas

1. Shampoo and conditioner bars make great gift ideas. It’s the zero-waste way to wash hair and a great step for beginners. I always recommend Unwrapped Life or any other shampoo bar that doesn’t contain SLS.
2. A safety razor is another zero-waste bathroom product that makes a great gift to replace disposable razors. I gifted one to my sister to introduce her to zero-waste living and she loved it!
3. Bamboo toothbrushes also make great gifts for beginner zero-wasters, and are super affordable.

8. Gift Zero-Waste Travel Products

Another eco-friendly present to consider giving is zero-waste travel products.

1. Travel utensils are perfect for anyone who often eats out and wants to avoid using disposable plastic cutlery.
2. Travel tins for storing shampoo and conditioner bars when travelling. Unwrapped Life has some in matte gold and they look even better in person.
3. A reusable water bottle is a must for anyone who wants to help cut back on plastic bottles. Find reusable water bottles in local stores or check out DYLN for alkaline water bottles or Hydros for filtered water bottles.

Related post: why you should stop buying bottled water.

9. Gifts that Help Save Trees

If you’re looking for gifts for someone who is passionate about forest conservation, consider these paperless gifts.

1. eBooks and eReaders are great for avid readers who don’t need or want a hard copy.
2. Rocketbook is a reusable notebook that can be uploaded digitally to your cloud. The perfect gift for note-takers, students, or anyone looking to cut back on paper.
3. If you love sending cards but want to go paperless, send electronic cards from Greenvelope.

10. Plants

An awesome environmentally-friendly gift idea is nature itself! Most people who live sustainably also love plants, so gifting a plant is never a bad idea! Think:

1. Houseplants
2. Outdoor plants
3. Trees
4. Flower, fruit or vegetable seeds
5. Plant cutting from your favorite plant that they can propagate
6. Frame a pressed plant leaf to hang on the wall

11. Shop Gifts Secondhand

Shopping secondhand is an easy way to practice sustainable shopping, even when it comes to gifting. Some things are even better to buy secondhand because you can’t buy them in retail stores anymore.

Secondhand gift ideas

1. Antiques
2. Books
3. Clothing
4. Home decor
5. Board games

Read more: where to get local secondhand items for cheap or free.

12. Gift Sustainable Fashion Brands

When considering eco-friendly gift ideas, buying clothing and accessories from sustainable fashion brands is a great option. There are many brands that create clothing and accessories that are mindful of the environment in its manufacturing, as well as the materials themselves.

Some slow fashion brands

1. tentree from sustainable clothing using materials like organic cotton, to eco-friendly accessories.
2. Organic Basics sell sustainable underwear and activewear for both men and women.
3. WoodWatch creates sustainable wooden watches, wooden bracelets, and more.
4. WAMA makes underwear for men in women from hemp which is one of the most sustainable fabrics in the world.
5. WORN socks will make the perfect sustainable stocking stuffer and come with a 1-year guarantee. Get 15% off your WORN order with coupon code MINDFULOFTHEHOME.

13. Give Thoughtful Gifts

Gifts that are thoughtful or sentimental always make great gifts for the eco-conscious friend or family member because you know they won’t go to waste. Thoughtful gift ideas include:

1. A donation to a cause/charity that they support in their name
2. Gift something they need, even if it’s just money
3. Give away gift cards to their favorite stores and opt for an electronic gift card when possible.
4. Make your own gift by painting, sewing, woodworking, etc
5. A family recipe written on a card
6. Give away something sentimental of yours or a family heirloom
7. Pay for a bill, car maintenance or tires, or a renovation
8. “Your time” coupons, to offer your time to babysit, clean, be a taxi, etc.
9. Meal kits such as HelloFresh to save time on meal planning and shopping

14. Gift a Subscription box

Subscription boxes make great gifts and there are so many types of subscription boxes available that you’ll have no issue finding one that’s a perfect fit for your giftee.

Some sustainable subscription boxes:

1. greenUP – zero-waste swaps
2. SAM and LANCE – conscious products made by women
3. GlobeIn – fair trade home decor

Check out more eco-friendly subscription boxes!

15. Shop Brands Who Manufacture Sustainably

Try and opt for brands that practice or are working towards sustainable manufacturing and responsible shipping methods like plastic-free packaging or carbon-neutral shipping.

Brands with sustainable practices

1. Nudie Jeans practices all sorts of sustainability measures in their production and are very transparent via their website.
2. Who Gives a Crap donates 50% of its profits to help build toilets in developing countries. Their Dream Cloths would make a great gift!
3. Caraway cookware releases 60% less CO2 into the environment during the manufacturing process compared to other non-stick coatings.

Final Thoughts on These Sustainable Gift Ideas

I hope this eco-friendly gift guide was able to inspire you with gift ideas. These are great gifts to help fight climate change and encourage sustainable living.

Try and shop locally when possible, but that’s not always possible when you have a perfect gift idea. When shopping online, do some brand research.

Once again, EarthHero is a great place to shop for all of these reasons since they only support sustainable and ethical brands, and you can use my coupon MINDFULHOME to get 10% off all your orders.

P.S. I’ve already researched all the sustainable brands mentioned in this gift guide so you don’t have to!

P.P.S. Don’t forget to wrap your gifts sustainably as well!

Happy gifting!

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